Thank you to NorthSouth Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review. This is a gorgeously illustrated children's book with a sweet cloud as our main character. The plot offers a look into how the rain/cloud/water cycle process works in a way that is scientifically sound but also very gently woven into the readable text. It's a poetic tale of change and getting swept away into big new things (scary but exciting!), so it's more of an emotional story than a purely "how rain works" description - it's lovely!

The idea behind this book is lovely. It describes the water cycle in a way that children can understand. The story follows Re, a little cloud, on her journey to become a big cloud.

The illustrations were stunning, they are very soft and inviting. I wish the words had matched that level of perfection. They were clunky and, at times, forced. I believe this was initially written in German and then translated to English. Perhaps that's where the problem is. Some tweaks to the words, and this would be a favourite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Little Cloud's Big Dream, a little book with big talent. It's so beautiful and heartwarming. Cute and poetic, informative and interesting.
What drew me first to try this book was the title. Then I had a look at the illustrations and I got wowed. I knew this was for me.

"Re dreamed of being big, like the clouds she could see far in the distance, above the wild blue sea."

I love the textures, the style is special. It's a touching story. Very poetic. The illustrations by Martina Liebig are sublime.

It pulled on some of my heart strings, I felt emotional. It's so floaty and dreamy.
It's a really nice and informative little story about the water cycle. A cycle that feeds, creates and maintains life on earth.
It talks about weather and nature. Friendship and consideration, kindness. A lot of important, essential notions.

"She soared over each type of water she found : big lakes, muddy puddles, and drops on the ground."

It's a really effective storytelling, that makes the reader go through so many emotions in so little time. Love Ixtzel Arreola's writing.

It's really cute and had a very important message, told in this story beautifully written and really well illustrated. Through that little cloud who had a dream. I really love that approach, the way which nature and science were brought up into the story.

"Hi, Cloud. How do you do ?
From dew to rain to thunder, you are still you."

A sweet read. I read it on screen, I am sure it's even more gorgeous in print. I will need to reread it on paper. Grab Little Cloud's big dream for your children.

#LittleCloudsBigDream #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth books for this early read! I was really impressed with the artwork in this book and the message behind it. I thought it told a good lesson

The story starts with Re, a very small cloud who just wants to be a big cloud. She idolizes big clouds and they share advise that she will have to absorb water from the earth (lakes, puddles, etc) to become bigger. It follows her adventures on where she absorbs her water, but eventually when she is really really big, she slows down and becomes a rain storm. I would recommend this for ages 4-6.

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I enjoy in a children’s book—a fun plot that subtly teaches a truth of life, captivating illustrations, and a story that is fun to read aloud. Martina Liebig did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life, drawing the reader into the story of the little cloud. By the end of the story, we are able to see the value of a good friend who sticks by you through all seasons of your life.

So fun to read, and I will definitely be reading again with my daughter!

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

A wonderful little story about a cloud who wants to be big and what happens once she is to huge.

Little Cloud’s Big Dream is a delightful rhyming picture book about Re, a little cloud with dreams of becoming a big cloud like those above the ocean. Through Re’s journey, readers are introduced to the fascinating process of how clouds grow bigger and what happens when they become too full.

The story is a fun and educational read, complemented by beautiful illustrations and a soft, soothing color palette.

This is such a wonderful book with beautiful illustrations. All 3 of my children sat listening to this and said they really enjoyed it.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Little Clouds Big Dream is a beautiful and educational children's picture book about a little cloud called Re. Re has a big dream to grow as big as the clouds that float over the sea. After a passing cloud informs her of how she can collect water and dew herself and where to gather it from, she starts her journey to become as big as the clouds she so admires. On her journey, she meets a flower whose dew she absorbs, and the pair become fast friends. But Re has gotten so big that she turns into a thunder cloud and ends up storming across the land and sea. She fears her new friend won't like her anymore for what she became and even worse won't recognise her now she's a small cloud again after the storm and water has drained back out of her. But the flower still recognises Re and accepts her for who she is. This was a beautiful story of friendship, chasing your dreams, and a great book to read to explain science, the water-cycle, and weather to children.

This was a sweet book! It would be a great resource for learning about the water cycle and how clouds form and develop. I loved the illustration style. I do wish it had a more consistent rhyming structure; some lines just felt clunky. I don't mind if books don't rhyme at all, but inconsistency is one of my pet peeves.

Re, the little cloud with big dreams, takes readers on a delightful and imaginative adventure in this beautifully crafted story about growth, change, and even a little about friendship. This was such a fun read with an engaging narrative and stunning illustrations.

The story follows Re as she dreams of becoming as big as the clouds over the sea. Her journey of collecting dew and growing larger is both enchanting and educational, offering a creative and accessible introduction to the water cycle for younger readers. Along the way, Re befriends a lovely flower, adding a heartfelt layer of connection and emotion to the tale. When Re grows into a thunderstorm, the dramatic transformation adds excitement and a touch of suspense, brought back to a comforting and accepting response from Flower. It was a well placed message about acceptance and identity.

The illustrations truly shine, capturing the whimsical and playful nature of the story. The vibrant and imaginative artwork brings Re’s journey to life, from her beginnings as a tiny cloud to her bold transformation into a thunderstorm. Each page is a visual treat, filled with fun and charm that will captivate young readers and adults alike.

Overall, this is a fantastic read for children, combining an engaging story with whimsical illustrations and an important message about growth and change. Perfect for storytime, this book will leave readers smiling and looking at clouds in a whole new way.

Review will be live closer to the release date (March 4)

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for this E-ARC of "Little Cloud's Big Dream" by Ixtzel Arreola, releasing March 11, 2025.

The illustrations in this book are really beautiful. This book would be a great addition to a classroom library for students to explore or for a read aloud. It also would be great for any home libraries or to be given to a kid as a gift! I also love that this can be tied to science and talking about the water cycle which is one reason it makes it great for a classroom!

Defintely check out this book when it releases on March 11, 2025

An absolutely adorable book! With its beautiful art, rhyming and message, it makes me wish I had this to read when I was a child. It’s perfect for younger readers or would make a great bedtime story to be read.
The message of you being you no matter what is so important for young impressionable minds.

Incredible imagination of one's aspiration to become big and yet again seeing downside in life but our true friends always remain friends forever. All this has been shown with the help of a water cycle.

A little cloud once dreamt to become bigger cloud like the once over ocean. She while passing by met with flower who adsorb dew over its petal. On flower's request that little cloud absorb by evaporating the dew and hence those two became friends. Her dilemma of how she become bigger solved by that flower friend and she went on to absorb more water to make herself bigger cloud. But one day when she started to storm, she realised that she became smaller again. But this is how water cycle works, right?

Overall, this is a very creative work on letting the children learn the environment and make their learning way easier and in a fun manner with the moral that we always have to go through ups and downs if we have to become bigger. With big power comes bigger responsibilities.

This is the story of a little cloud named Re. With the help of a bigger cloud Re learns to collect water by going near water sources like lakes and rivers. Along the way she makes friends with a flower. And of course Re eventually gets so big and heavy they must rain. The illustrations are beautiful and the story of the water cycle through the eyes of Re can be useful in a science lesson for preschoolers or younger grades.

The sweet little cloud has a big dream, and learns how to become a big cloud and travel around stoming and raining. When she becomes small again, she goes back to her friend, and their friendship is still strong. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

This is a sweet story of a cloud with a dream to be bigger. Along the way she makes some friends and realizes you can still be you after changes.
Beautiful illustrations.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Pretty art with very warm colors. It is a story of a Cloud who wants to be so much more than it is. I really enjoyed the art style and I think my kids would have enjoyed this story.

4 stars

A beautiful tale of dreams that are realized and change you, and through it all—whether you are seeking your dream, achieving it, or experiencing the aftermath of realizing your dream—you are always you. Told through a cloud who wanted to grow, who soaked up morning dew and flew over lakes, and grew to a storm, then fell as rain, this story is delightful and poetic in both its use of language and of art. The illustrations take you on a visual journey of joy, change and friendship that is a delight. The words effortlessly rhyme for the majority of the book, and there is a magical imagination that will draw young readers into questions of nature and the weather and how clouds become rain. While this story is more magical than scientific, cultivating that curiosity in a young mind is the beginning of science. But, most through these pages, there is a narrative that no matter what changes, what comes and what passes, you are always you and that is special.